Fed Up Challenge: Day 3

I felt reassured today when I opened my Fed Up Challenge email, it's only day three but the boredom is setting in. It's not that I'm craving sugar but life without cookies and ice cream is kind of boring. For those who disagree, I applaud you because my sweet tooth is fierce. I picked up sugar free Russell Stover candy and sugar free cool whip to top my berries on days I need a real fix. Otherwise I'm limiting any 'sugar' intake to the carbohydrates I consume like whole grain bread or pasta. I think my sugar-free reference is being confused with not consuming anything with sugar but according to dietitian Heidi Wells, naturally occurring sugars are acceptable. The whole grains I typically eat have one gram of sugar per serving but again there is no added sugar in the bread.

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I'm also getting a lot of questions about Splenda versus sugar and here's what my dietitian Heidi Wells has to say:

Splenda (sucralose) is a sugar (sucrose) molecule with 3 hydrogen (H) molecules replaced with chlorine (Cl) ion - the same chlorine that can be found naturally in salt - to stabilize the no-calorie molecule. Splenda is not seen to the body as a carbohydrate, therefore is not broken down for energy use. Unlike artificial sweeteners, Splenda does not contain chemicals and has not been found to cause some of the side effects of its artificial counterparts.

As far as health, sucralose can be a great way to decrease regular sugar intake for weight management. From a registered dietitian's perspective, there is no research currently out there that would lead me believe that Splenda is unsafe.

The Fed Up challenge sent me a recipe that included whole grain tortillas and peanut butter, something I didn't think I could eat - I will stick with my almond butter. Since I'm trying to restrict even more I'm eating fewer carbs this week and I already feel less bloated. I still do not see any huge differences but according to the Fed Up Challenge those will start to come in the next few days. I think you probably need to go at least a week.

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